Global Startup Awards Edition 12: 17 Unicorns Started Here—Will You Be Next?

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-08

### Free, Equity-Free, and Built for Early-Stage Founders Applications for the 12th edition of the Global Startup Awards (GSA) are officially open, and early-stage startups can apply right now. Here's the kicker: 17 GSA alumni have gone on to become unicorns—companies valued at $1 billion or more. That's not a typo. Seventeen. This edition gives the next wave of founders a clear, fair shot at recognition, investors, and industry leaders. No gatekeeping. No hidden fees. Just a straight path to the spotlight. ### Applying Takes Less Time Than Your Morning Coffee You need three things: a 1-minute form, a pitch deck, and a one-pager. That's it. There's no fee, and GSA takes zero equity. It's the simplest, fastest application they've ever run. "One minute, a deck, a one-pager, that's the whole application. If it takes you longer than a coffee, we've built it wrong," says Yazan Othman, Director of Operations at Global Startup Awards. Founders share only what's essential, and the GSA team does the heavy lifting—placing each startup in the right region and category so it competes against others in similar spaces. No mismatched matchups. ### Judged with Rigor, Not Guesswork Every application for Edition 12 is reviewed and scored using the same evaluation method. That means a mix of market benchmarks, insights from industry experts and academics, and AI-powered analysis. The AI-first approach keeps things consistent across thousands of applications, while human evaluators still make the final calls. It's technology plus human expertise—designed to give every startup a fair and rigorous assessment, no matter where it's from or what it does. > "Seventeen companies that came through this competition became unicorns. GSA already saw potential in them way before anyone else. I believe Edition 12 with the AI-first and human-in-charge approach will live up to this legacy," adds Tamas Tuske, Innovation Director at MeOut Group. ### Everyone Gets Something, Not Just the Winners Recognition is only part of the GSA experience. Every startup that applies to Edition 12 gets access to benefits—regardless of how far it progresses. Unlike most competitions where only winners benefit, GSA gives something to every applicant. Immediately after applying, startups join the GSA Community and receive a welcome offer by email, featuring free and discounted tools from partners like Notion, HubSpot, and EU-Startups.com. This edition's welcome offer also includes exclusive discounts for the EU-Startups Summit, one of Europe's leading gatherings for startups, investors, and corporates: - 30% off any EU-Startups Summit ticket, including startup, investor, and corporate categories—savings up to $195 per ticket. - 20% off exhibition packages—savings up to $1,840 depending on the booth. And the benefits don't stop when the competition ends. Startups stay in the GSA Community, where they can access future partner offers, speaking opportunities, community activities, and discounted event tickets. Whether selected or not, every applicant gains access to a network built to support their journey. Those not selected keep their benefits and can apply again in future editions. ### CESA at MeOut Summit 2026 The Central European Startup Awards (CESA) will take place at MeOut Summit 2026 from November 25–26, bringing together many parts of the European startup ecosystem under one roof. Winners hear the news first, are announced on GSA's website and social channels, and take the stage as speakers and panelists in front of investors and industry leaders. In some editions, winners from several regions also compete in a cross-regional round for a continental title. ### How to Apply Applications are open until the end of October. Don't wait—if you're an early-stage founder with big ambitions, this is your shot. Apply today and join a legacy of unicorns.